Daughter of Vulcan
by LordSadLampshade
Summary: When an unconscious demigod shows up within Camp Jupiter's borders, the half-bloods of the camp try to figure out where the girl came from and why she hadn't had any training at the Wolf House before she got there. (This is going to be really long, but slow to update, so bear with.)
1. Preface

A/N: Ok, I realize this is SUPER stereotypical of me to have an author's note at the start of the story, but bear with me and it'll be fine, I promise.

Basically, this story features my OC (no surprise there), and of course a lot of the characters from Camp Jupiter (from the Heroes of Olympus series written by the very talented Rick Riordan. As a disclaimer, I obviously don't own any of the characters in Daughter of Vulcan except for Ruby, Jennie, Anthony, Logan and any characters that aren't in canon.

The story centers around Ruby Simon, a supposed daughter of Vulcan, the Roman god of blacksmiths and volcanoes. I won't reveal anything else about her past, but she's a sarcastic, often excitable fifteen-year-old who likes girls. 'Nuff said.

Note: This story does involve lesbians, so if you feel uncomfortable reading that, I encourage you not to read this story. However, any comments are appreciated, even if it's hate! I don't mind, it at least means that my stories are getting out there and people are reading them!

TL;DR enjoy the story, it has gays, my OC may or may not be a Mary-Sue, I've no idea


	2. Chapter 1

_Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather it is one of those things that gives value to survival._

 _-C. S. Lewis_

Reyna was trained to never be surprised- at least, not to act it.

When she received word that someone had managed to stumble into Camp Jupiter without warning, though, her eyebrows were raised.

Octavian, who was taking a break from his augur duties, spluttered a string of insults under his breath about how useless the guards were. He stormed off to yell at the sheepish camper who had passed the message on.

Reyna herself stood from her seat in the principia, her deep purple robes brushing against the floor as she did so.

 _I'll have to go see this someone for myself._

She didn't have to to walk for long to reach the bridge across the Little Tiber. As she arrived she greeted Octavian and a small group of other campers. The majority of them were centurions or other high-ranking members of the Legion. A few of the newer campers, those still under the title of _probatio_ or normal legionnaires, stood at the fringes of the crowd and watched with mild interest.

Reyna nodded at Jason, who grimaced but nodded back all the same. The daughter of Bellona easily pushed past the centurions and Octavian, dark eyes fixing on the figure at the augur's feet.

A girl, perhaps a little younger than Reyna herself, lay sprawled at the base of the bridge. She had thick dark hair and her skin, which Reyna suspected was usually deeply tanned, was a sickly pale green colour. Blood, dirt and slime was spattered over the girl's ripped t-shirt. Her other attire- jeans and a sweatshirt wrapped loosely around her waist- looked even worse for wear.

Crouching so that she was nearly level with the girl's face, Reyna tipped her head to the side to get a better look at her. Peeling the girl's left sleeve up, the praetor cringed at the nasty cut there. Dark veins stood out around the wound. _Blood poisoning._

"Are any medics present?" Reyna demanded, standing up. There was a moment of confusion, then a small, willowy girl with red hair stepped forward. "I'm a medic," she offered, "but the rest are back at the principia, training, Praetor Reyna."

"That's better than nothing. Dakota," Reyna motioned to one of the centurions, "take Gwen and Marcus with you, and tell a few of the medics prepare a bed in the medical bay. Octavian, sort out this girl and her transport to the principia- carefully, she's badly injured. Jason, with me."

The group of campers darted off to do as Reyna commanded. She cast one last look at the girl lying in the grass, then turned and glanced at Jason, who had caught up with her.

"They found her this morning," Jason explained as they walked. "she was just lying there, by the bridge. No weapons. No one knows how she got there, or how she got past the guards at the tunnel."

"Did she say anything?" the daughter of Bellona asked.

Jason paused. "Yeah. She said her father sent her here, before she passed out."

"Then she could be one of us."

"I guess we'll find out."

Reyna pursed her lips in thought. They were nearing the Decumanian Gate, and as more and more legionnaires were informed of the new and unexpected arrival, they began to jog from all around to the principia. Reyna and Jason glided through the crowds, receiving nods and smiles of respect from many. She passed a group of Lares chittering excitedly, and a couple of fauns whispering to each other.

As she entered the medical bay, a medic hurried over. It was a boy with three lines below the SPQR tattoo on his forearm and a mop of brown hair. She remembered that his name was Darren.

"Praetor Reyna," he said breathlessly. The daughter of Bellona noticed his hands were slick with blood and there were dark patches on his purple t-shirt. "We gave her some unicorn drought and dressed the bad cuts. She should be alright- the worst of the poison is gone- but she needs rest."

"Thank you. Your services will be noted." Reyna smiled, dismissing the kid. The other medics were packing up their equipment as she walked over.

They all muttered "hello, Praetor Reyna" when she approached. The redheaded girl from earlier- her name was Jennie- inclined her head. "The others say she'll wake up in a few hours."

"Good. I have some questions for her. And, Jennie?"

"Yes?"

"You saved someone's life today. You have my thanks."

Jennie nodded, quickly checking the girl's bandages, before leaving to grab some more blankets from the barracks.

The praetor sighed and pulled up a chair, studying the girl more closely. Some of her colour had returned, and she was breathing deeply, although the gash on her shoulder still looked awful.

The girl had elf-like features, and small, calloused hands. She had a splash of freckles on her nose and cheeks, and thin scars covered her exposed arms. Reyna sighed again.

She'd have a lot of questions to ask this new arrival.


	3. Chapter 2

The first thought Ruby had when she woke up was pretty simple.

 _Where is my screwdriver_?

She tried to sit up and winced. Her left shoulder still ached. Great- that was her dominant side.

Her bright eyes flickered around the room she was in, taking in her surroundings. She remembered blacking out next to a bridge, the sound of water roaring in her ears. She remembered running through the night to get here. And vaguely, just vaguely, she remembered a girl's commanding voice echoing in her thoughts.

"Oh, thank the gods, you're awake."

Ruby's thoughts snapped back to reality and she groggily stared at a skinny girl with a shock of red hair and deep green eyes that were much too large for her heart-shaped face. On her forearm was the tattoo _SPQR_ and four lines below it, with a tiny spear and hammer above them.

The girl bit her lip. "I'm Jennie. What's your name?"

Ruby hesitated. She had no idea who this girl was, where she was, or whether she was safe, but... when had she ever thought ahead? _Oh, hell. Might as well see where this goes._

"My name's Ruby. Do you have any idea where my screwdriver is?"

"Afraid not. Listen, I have to tell Reyna and Jason that you're awake. Please don't go anywhere." Jennie got up to leave. Ruby cleared her throat, making the girl turn.

"Excuse me, but where am I? You didn't mention it in the welcome package."

Jennie cracked a grin. "You're in Camp Jupiter. Don't worry, Reyna and Jason will properly welcome you after you've visited the augury."

"Who? And what's an aug-whatever?"

Jennie laughed, opening the door to the large room Ruby lay in. "The _augury_. It's where Octavian decides whether you can stay at camp. And Reyna and Jason... well, you'll see. I've got to get Reyna now."

Ruby shifted position, sitting up a little more in her hospital-issue bed as Jennie left.

 _Hmm... nice enough. I like her._

She tossed the blankets off and inspected her arm, where the mantea applecore- or something like that- had shot her with its tail-spike. It didn't look as bad as before- the blood poisoning had vanished, and the blood flow looked like it had slowed.

 _Now where in the name of the gods is my stupid screwdriver?_

The door opened, and Ruby's eyes widened.

A tall girl, maybe a year older than Ruby- she couldn't be sure- entered. The girl wore a string of medals across her chest, and her deep purple robes swept along the floor. Jennie inclined her head in respect behind her, then retreated, closing the door.

The girl in the purple robes took a seat next to Ruby's bed. The latter noticed two greyhounds, one gold and one silver, dutifully sitting by the girl's side.

"I'm Reyna, praetor of the Twelfth Legion. And you must be Ruby."

Ruby opened her mouth to deny it- this girl intimidated her far more than any monster had- but Reyna's greyhounds snarled warningly.

"My dogs can sense when someone is lying," the girl explained, "so it would be wise not to withhold anything from me."

"Are they... automatons?" Ruby couldn't help it- she had a deep-seated love for all things technological.

Reyna nodded. "Aurum," she gestured to the gold dog, "and Argentum." The silver one raised its head at the sound of its name.

"Gold and silver," Ruby murmured, the Latin automatically translating in her head against her will. There was a moment of silence as they studied each other.

Reyna had shiny black hair, and dark eyes that bored into Ruby's own brown ones accusingly, as if she was hiding something.

"I apologize for bothering you so soon after you've recovered. But it would do both of us a world of good if you told me how you got here, who you are and how you found this place."

Ruby took a deep breath. Aurum and Argentum regarded her with what she could have sworn was suspicion. She ran a hand through her thick curls.

"My name is Ruby Simon. I was born in San Francisco. I had a dream where someone told me to come to Caldecott Tunnel- I didn't listen to it at first, then the dream kept repeating. Always the same words. Always the same voice. I told my mom about it, and she said, 'follow it.' So here I am."

"How were you wounded?"

"It was this...thing. A man with tea and apple cores-"

Reyna grimaced. "A _manticore_. That's a Greek monster... tell, me, do you know who your birth father is?"

Ruby shrugged. "He left before I was born." It wasn't a total lie.

"And your mother?"

"She's an electronic engineer at Techno-Logic, the big computer software company in San Francisco."

"And have you received any formal weapons, tactical or survival training?"

"No... was I supposed to?"

"Usually, people like us are trained by the wolf goddess, Lupa, in the ways of the Romans."

Ruby started. "'People like us'?" She echoed. She didn't mention the fact that Reyna was talking about a wolf goddess called Lupa- that was too weird.

Reyna stood, her dogs following suit. "Children of the gods, or legacies- descendants of demigods. I believe you are related to Vulcan, the god of blacksmiths, volcanoes and fire."

"Like, Hephaestus?"

Reyna's eyes narrowed. "That is the Greek version, but yes. You'll have to use the Roman names if you stay."

"I'll try my best."

"Good. Ruby, are you up to walking?"

"If it's not too far, yes."

Reyna nodded in approval. "That's what I wanted to hear. You'll need to regain your strength soon if you are to survive in this camp. We have very strict rules and stricter punishments if they are not followed. If Octavian determines you fit to stay, you will have to adhere to these rules."

Ruby swung her legs out of the bed. As she did so, Reyna tossed her a purple t-shirt, which Ruby pulled on, noting the SPQR logo on the front in gold lettering.

" _Senatus Populusque Romanus_. Senate and the People of Rome. Jennie thought you might need a change of clothes," The praetor explained.

"Great." Ruby stretched her arms, wincing as her left shoulder screamed in protest. "Now, you said something about an Octavian?"


	4. Chapter 3

Ruby stood from her bed, and nearly passed out as her shoulder clicked. Black spots swam before her eyes and she was only just aware Reyna grabbing her other arm in support.

"Are you sure you can walk?" The praetor asked with a hint of worry, grip tightening on Ruby's arm.

Ruby's heart soared into her throat against her will, but she pushed the praetor's hand away and gasped, "I can walk."

"I'll be right behind you." Reyna motioned to the door. Ruby stumbled to the doorframe, hands closing around the knob, holding back her vomit.

She would make it to the augury, at least. Then, when Octavian had determined whether or not she could stay at the camp, she could collapse into a bed somewhere. Perhaps she could get something to eat as well.

The walk to the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus, as Reyna had called it, was painstakingly long. Ruby very nearly fell over and didn't get up numerous times but, not wanting to be made fun of by any bystanding campers, she carried and trudged ahead.

As she passed the group of buildings Reyna called the barracks, campers emerged from the doorways. Many sneered and a few shouted, "Put the _graecus_ in fifth, Reyna!" but their catcalls stopped when the praetor glared at them.

"What did they say?" Ruby asked, raising an eyebrow.

Reyna sighed. "Don't worry, you're not the first to be called that. It means 'Greek' in Latin. It's an insult used for enemies."

Ruby laughed. "So I'm an enemy now? Awesome. By the way, do you have any idea where my screwdriver is? I had it on me when I got here."

"All of your personal effects are being stored in the armoury until we've assessed whether they are dangerous or not," Reyna droned, sounding as if she was reciting lines.

"Ok. Could you point me to the armoury- which, by that way, I can't believe you even _have_ \- when we get out of the temple?" she paused, then said, "actually, maybe tomorrow when I'm feeling a hundred percent."

"Of course."

"Cool," Ruby paused to take a deep breath. The praetor beside her tipped her head. "Are you absolutely sure you're alright?"

The potential demigod grinned through fatigue and the ache in her shoulder. "That's cute. You do have a heart after all."

Reyna's cheeks flushed and she coughed into her fist uncomfortably.

The remainder of the walk was made in silence, accompanied with the occasional pit stop for Ruby to catch her breath and get her bearings. All around her, the buildings looked like something out of a movie- huge marble pillars, whitewashed walls, people- and ghosts, for that matter- in togas, fauns (as Reyna referred to them) trotting around asking for spare change.

It was like she'd stepped into Ancient Rome.

After what had seemed like a millennium, the two teens finally reached Jupiter Optimus Maximus. Lightning flashed ominously above it.

Reyna sniffed disdainfully. "Hold on a moment, Octavian's nearly done."

"With what? Starting a hurricane?"

The praetor's mouth twitched. "With reading the auguries." The lightning had died down a little. "Come. He's finished."

Octavian was certainly not what Ruby had pictured. She wasn't sure what she'd imagined him to look like, exactly- perhaps a tall, impressive young adult dramatically reading animal guts or something. On the contrary, the augur was a gaunt, scrawny kid that could have passed for someone younger at a glance. He had straw-coloured hair that stuck to his forehead and wore a loose toga over a blue shirt and ratty jeans. On his forearm was, of course, the SPQR brand and seven lines, for seven years of service. He held a knife and a small brown teddy bear in each hand.

"Praetor Reyna." Octavian inclined his head. Ruby sensed he didn't hold her in half as much respect as he portrayed. "And this must be the _grae_ \- ahem, the new girl."

"My name is Ruby. Use it." This kid really got on Ruby's nerves, although she didn't know why. Maybe it was his smug expression or how he nearly called her a _graecus_. Maybe he just gave off an irritating vibe. But whatever it was, Ruby didn't like him. Trusting him was out of the question at this point.

Octavian blanched. He pointed a thin finger at her angrily. "Don't use that tone with your superiors."

"It's hard to be nice to a guy who shares the name of the man who drove Cleopatra to suicide."

Octavian's nostrils flared, but he managed to keep his composure. "I'm sure your opinion will change about me, Ruby. Now, to consult the gods on whether you can stay."

He stabbed his knife into the teddy bear, ripping out the stuffing quite violently. As he did so, Reyna nudged Ruby urgently. "Don't get on his bad side, for your sake," she said in a low voice, "I'm not the only one in camp who has power."

Octavian inspected the bear stuffing. "The gods have decided," he announced, "that Ruby may stay. They say that she may be the daughter of Vulcan... or that a pot fell into a volcano. I'm going to go with the first option. You are dismissed. _Graecus_ ," he added, just loud enough for Ruby to hear.

As she and Reyna left the temple, Ruby was fuming.

"That piece of _kopros_! He can go take that knife and shove it up where the sun doesn't shine... I could kick that scarecrow to the moon and back faster than he could say ' _graecus_ '!"

Reyna coughed. "I'd appreciate it if you didn't curse in Greek, Ruby. It wouldn't bode well for you."

Ruby snorted. "Well, Bedsheet Skeleton doesn't seem to care whether I'm Greek or not."

The praetor pointed a large white building next to the _principia_. "That's the mess. It's nearly dinner, so you can head down there." Ruby noticed that she'd changed the subject.

"What about you?" Ruby asked.

Reyna's face hardened- she clearly didn't like her orders being questioned. "I need to speak with a few people and attend to some important matters. I've asked Jennie to wait for you outside the mess hall.

"And Ruby," she called as the other girl began to walk slowly down Temple Hill, "just because I am paying attention to you does not mean you can question my authority. I expect you to behave like any other new recruit, and will punish or reward you as such. Do not disappoint me."

Ruby turned and winked. "I'll bear that in mind. _Hypíaine_ , Reyna."

Reyna scowled and hurried back up to the temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus.


	5. Chapter 4

Jennie leaned against the doorway of the mess hall, smiling or waving at campers. She glanced down at her forearm, where it had been branded with SPQR, her lines of service in the legion- four- and a hammer and anvil, the symbol of a legacy. Contrary to what her family had wanted, Jennie had chosen to become a medic and found the practise oddly calming, instead of becoming a warrior like her goddess grandmother, Victoria.

More and more legionnaires filed into the mess hall, talking animatedly. Many said hello to her- she'd been at Camp Jupiter for the better part of four years and a lot of campers had taken a liking to her in that time. Maybe it was because their lives could potentially be in her hands someday.

Ruby hadn't shown up yet, so Jennie assumed she was still talking with Reyna. She smiled to herself a little at that- she'd seen the way the new girl had stared at the praetor. But Reyna was far too busy- and proud, for that matter- to even _think_ about paying Ruby that kind of attention.

"Jennie! Hey!"

Jennie was enveloped in a bear hug by her best friend, Anthony, a son of Mercury and legacy of Apollo.

"Ugh, Ant, get off." Jennie playfully pushed him away. Anthony had vouched for her when she was required to join a cohort, as Jennie's parents refused to provide any letters of recommendation. They'd been best friends ever since.

Anthony ruffled her hair and raised an eyebrow. "Who are you waiting for, Jen?"

"New girl. Ruby Simon."

"The _graecus_?"

Jennie pulled a face. "That's mean, Ant. You don't even know her."

Anthony shrugged. "Everyone else thinks she is. Sure looks like a Greek to me, with that hair and those eyes."

" _Ant_. Don't be like that. Go get some food, I'll see you in there."

"Leila wanted me to tell you congrats for helping the new girl out today," Anthony called as he plodded into the mess hall, "and I thought you did great, as always."

He vanished inside, to shouts and raucous laughter. Jennie rolled her eyes and nearly followed him, when she saw Ruby walking- very slowly- towards the building. Jennie hurried over and asked, "You ok?"

Ruby gritted her teeth. "Sure. Your augur is a jerk."

Jennie chuckled. "Tell me something I don't know. Come on, let's get you something to eat."

As she and the new girl walked in, the hall's usual laughter and general noise died down, and over two-hundred pairs of curious eyes fixed on the two new arrivals.

Jennie shifted uncomfortably- she disliked being the centre of attention- but Ruby seemed pretty relaxed. Maybe she was just relieved to be away from Octavian.

"How's it going, everyone?" She said happily. "Oh, don't mind me- carry on."

A few of the Lares chittered disapprovingly, but the majority of the campers returned to their conversations.

"Come on, you can sit with Ant and I." Jennie pulled Ruby's hand insistently, and they hurried over to sit on a couch with Ant and a few other kids from the fourth cohort.

Jennie caught a mushroom pizza flying past her ear, and swiped a Mountain Dew to go with her food. Ant was already digging into a burger and fries. Jennie watched Ruby tentatively grab a salad and something that looked like black coffee, but the new girl picked at her food and her face was scrunched up in thought.

"What's up?" the medic asked casually, nodding at Ruby. The other girl looked up, realising she'd been asked a question.

"Oh! Uh... guess I'm not that hungry," Ruby smiled, running a hand through her dark hair.

Jennie shrugged and bit into a slice of pizza. "Well, you should eat something. We've got deathball after dinner, and you'll need the energy. First and second are merciless."

The new girl sipped her coffee. "'Deathball'?" She echoed, raising an eyebrow.

Ant had an expression on his face that Jennie couldn't quite place- jealousy? She grimaced, repressing the urge to put her arms around him and tell him she had no intention of replacing him. But that would be... very un-Roman. And certainly not behaviour expected of a legionnaire.

"It's like paintball, but with acid, poison and fireballs as weapons. The second and third cohorts are building the defences now, I think."

As Jennie finished, Leila, one of their centurions, stepped up to their couch. She nodded at Ruby, and said, "Jason and Reyna have allowed you to help the medics for these games, because you're still wounded. But don't expect to miss out any others after this."

Ruby nodded with a mouthful of salad.

Jennie clapped her hands. "That means you can hang out with me."

The new girl grinned as she downed the rest of her coffee. She was literally bouncing in her seat by this point. _And I thought_ I _had ADHD._

Dinner was nearly over, and most of the campers were starting to leave. Jennie, Ant and Ruby stood in unison and headed out.

Ant stuck his hand out as they neared the armoury to pick up their supplies. "I never properly introduced myself. I'm Anthony. Anthony Wilson. I'm Leila's second-in-command."

"Ruby. Hey." Ruby shook his hand. Jennie could feel the tension in the air.

"Ant, I think you need to grab your armour. I'll take Ruby with me to get our first-aid kits. See you in the games, hopefully not injured."

Ant waved. "See you, Jen. Stay safe."

"You too."

When he was out of earshot, Ruby whistled. "He does _not_ like me."

Jennie blushed. "He's overprotective. I think he sees you as a threat."

"Well, tell him I come in peace."

Jennie laughed despite herself. Ruby laughed in response, brown eyes gleaming.

"C'mon, Jennie, let's get our kits."


	6. Chapter 5

Ruby tentatively followed Jennie to the armoury, outside of which the rest of the medics were strapping on their gear. They greeted Jennie warmly and one of them, a brown-haired boy called Darren with three lines on his arm, showed Ruby the basics of first-aid.

"You'll have a few bottles of unicorn drought," he explained as he crouched next to the new girl. Their equipment was spread out in front of them.

"You put that directly on the wound, after you've cleaned up any blood or dirt. When you think it's mostly healed, wrap some bandages around it. Here, like this."

He unrolled some gauze and wound it around Ruby's hand. "Make sure it's tight- you want to stop the blood flow."

Ruby nodded silently, trying to remember all of the advice Darren gave her. After showing her how to make a quick splint and how to treat burn marks, He helped her pack the equipment back into her bag, and stood.

"You and Jennie will be working on the ground, near the actual fighting. The rest of us will be on the eagles or back in the medical bay. Is that okay?"

"Sure," Ruby said with a slight smile.

Darren and a few of the other kids whose names Ruby quickly forgot helped her into her armour: a thin chestplate, arm and leg guards, and thigh guards. She was also tossed a short sword to strap to her belt, which Darren called a _gladius_.

But before Ruby could thank him, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Come on," Jennie announced, grabbing Ruby's hand and half-dragging her from the armoury, "We need to assemble in our cohorts before deathball starts."

They arrived outside what Jennie explained were the fourth cohort's barracks. Since Ruby wasn't yet in a cohort, Jennie directed her to where Reyna stood, in front of all the assembled campers, a peanut-butter-coloured pegasus and Aurum and Argentum at her side.

The legion, as the kids had called it, was a sight to behold. Scores of campers stood to attention in front of what Ruby guessed were each of their barracks, clad in full battle armour and armed with spears and short swords.

Reyna inclined her head as Ruby hurried up beside her, shouldering her first-aid messenger bag. Ruby caught Octavian's eye as she shifted position. He stood at the front of the closest cohort- the first, most likely- a haughty expression on his weasel-like features. He caught her staring, and the edge of his thin mouth twitched up in a smirk.

The fourth cohort were a ways down the line. Ruby spotted Leila, the girl that had talked to her at dinner, Anthony, leaning on his spear behind her, and Jennie, hurrying over to her spot in the cohort's ranks.

"Legionnaires," Reyna said loudly. Every single pair of eyes fixed on her as she pointed to Ruby. "This is Ruby Simon, daughter of Vulcan. As many of you know, she arrived at camp yesterday, and has not yet been assigned to a cohort. Although she'll be aiding the medics during these war games, would anyone like to vouch for her in their cohort?"

There was a long, painful silence. Ruby coughed uncomfortably, and a blond boy beside Reyna, who must have been Jason, smiled reassuringly at her.

Just as Ruby began to lose hope that anyone cared about her existence at all, there was a collective murmur from the fourth cohort, and Jennie stepped forward, nervously playing with a fold on her purple t-shirt. She'd tied her vibrant orange hair into a tight bun.

"I vouch for Ruby," she said in a surprisingly clear voice. Ruby saw Anthony's expression turn from shock to anger as his friend said this.

Reyna nodded. "Very well," she intoned, "Ruby Simon, take your _probatio_ tablet. Until you perform an act of valour or complete one year of service in the legion, you and Jennie will be liable to death should you do anything against the rules. I advise you tread carefully until your title of _probatio_ is revoked. Cohorts, _ut vestri constituo_! The war games have begun-first, fourth and fifth versus second and third."

As the cohorts hurried to their positions, Ruby caught up with Anthony, who was making a big show of stomping his way towards the battlefield.

"Listen," Ruby pleaded, grabbing his arm, "I didn't mean to mess up your friendship or whatev-"

Anthony shrugged her off. "Doesn't matter," he interrupted with a sneer, "Jen always liked making friends with freaks. Best of luck in the war games, _graecus_."

He slid his helmet over his stringy hair and stalked away, leaving Ruby speechless in the dust.

 _Friends with freaks._

The words ricocheted off the inside of Ruby's brain, ringing in her ears. She was still standing there, in the wake of the stampeding legionaries, a fine layer of dust covering her face and armour. She blinked a few times and took a deep breath, composing herself. _Great. My first day, and two people already hate my guts._

Deathball progressed with few injuries, remarkably. Most of the wounds were burns, the majority of which Jennie offered to heal, sensing that her partner didn't want to get too involved.

By the end of the game, it was sunset, and after the campers had packed away their armour and weapons and cleaned themselves up with a bottle of water or a quick trip to the baths, it was dark.

Ruby walked alone, feeling guilty for taking up so much of Jennie's time and attention earlier. Her shoulder still stung a little and she was exhausted from the events of the day, but she wanted to let Reyna know how she was doing before she turned in.

Ruby squared her shoulders and began her walk to the _principia_ , following the torches that were being lit by older campers along the way.


	7. Chapter 6

The _principia_ 's lights cast a soft glow on Ruby's t-shirt and jeans as she stepped up to the entrance. The few kids that were still up at this hour nodded at her as they headed off the bed.

Ruby picked at her shirt hem as she stepped into the room the Lares had told her was the praetor's meeting room. She knocked twice on the doors, swallowing her nerves. It was just Reyna. And she was just saying 'hi'. Everything would be fine. There was a brief scuffle from the other side of the door, then a male voice saying, "Come in."

Ruby pushed the doors open, and didn't react as Aurum and Argentum growled warningly at her entry.

A tall, blond-haired teenager sat in one of the praetor's seats. He wore purple robes adorned with a succession of medals, and his blue eyes looked calm.

"You're Ruby, right?" he asked, getting up from his seat and walking over to her.

Ruby nodded. "And... you're Jason?"

Jason smiled. "Yep. Unfortunately you'll have to call me Praetor Grace from now on... that's not a problem?"

"Um, no, of course not," Ruby said awkwardly, shifting her weight from foot to foot. "No, that's fine. I was... er, looking for Reyna-"

Jason interrupted her. "She's just cleaning Skippy. She'll be back in a few minutes. What, has something happened?"

"No, no," Ruby was beginning to relax a little. "I just wanted to talk to her."

"Wanted to talk to who?"

Ruby turned quickly, repressing a startled yelp as Reyna entered the room in a flurry of purple robes. The _probatio_ went rigid, mumbling, "You, Reyna."

Reyna's face remained blank. "Please show your superiors respect, Ruby. It would be much appreciated."

"Sorry, Praetor Reyna." _Is she mad at me? Did I do something wrong?_

"Now," Reyna glanced at Jason, who gazed back at her like, _I did_ not _want to get involved in this_ , "let's get down to business.

"Ruby," the female praetor added, "don't you have somewhere to be?"

Ruby blanched. This was not going as planned. "Uh..."

"Do you have something to tell me?"

"No, but-"

"Ruby," Reyna's voice was hard. "Praetor Grace and I have some urgent matters to attend to. You should get some sleep- early start tomorrow."

Ruby ducked her head. "Ok. See you both in the morning."

As Ruby approached the closest of the fourth cohorts' barracks, a Lare materialised in front of her.

"EEK!" Ruby exclaimed, stumbling backwards. The Lare looked tiredly at her.

"Oh, it's you," he sighed. "The new recruit."

"Are you... Atticus? One of fourth's Lares?" Jennie had briefed Ruby on this subject whilst dressing a nasty burn in the war games earlier.

Atticus sniffed. "Yes, I am. Glad you know my name. Not everyone does. What are you doing, wandering around at this time of night?"

"I... I was looking for Jennie. Jennie Riley? Do you know which barracks she's in?"

Atticus slowly lifted a ghostly arm and pointed towards a building about twenty yards away. "There should be a few spare bunks near the back, last I checked."

"Thanks!" Ruby waved as she hurried towards the barracks.

Most of the kids in the barracks were still awake when she arrived, playing video games, listening to music or gossiping. A few smiled and nodded at her, including Leila, although Anthony scowled at Ruby when she walked past, as did a few others around him.

Jennie had a bunk at the very back. She waved as Ruby approached, tapping the bunk next to her in welcome.

"Looks like your dad left you some stuff," the medic grinned, pointing to a bag of toiletries, two towels, and a spare change of clothes. On top of the Camp Jupiter t-shirts sat Ruby's screwdriver and a clear plastic bag full of screws and bolts.

"Awesome," Ruby said weakly, placing her things under the bunk and collapsing on her mattress, exhausted. The pillow smelled like her grandmother and the linens were threadbare at best, but she was grateful for the comfort all the same.

Jennie switched her bedside light off, as the rest of the kids began to do the same. She climbed up to the top bunk above Ruby, and they lay there in silence for a while, each thinking about the events of the day.

Then, after what seemed like the better part of a century, Ruby spoke.

"...Are Jason and Reyna dating?"

Jennie snorted, half-asleep by this point. "Everyone wishes they were, at this point. Why d'ya wanna know?"

"Oh," Ruby muttered, "No, reason."

There was a creaking noise from the bunk above her, and Jennie's pale face, accompanied by a curtain of orange hair, appeared. She giggled a little.

"Interested in Jason, are we?"

"Nah, I don't... I don't, er, swing that way, if you get my drift. Um."

Jennie's face lit up in the semi-darkness. " _I knew it_!" she whispered happily, swinging up onto her bed again and climbing down the ladder to sit next to Ruby.

"So, Ruby," the legionnaire said quietly, shuffling closer, "are you interested in Reyna?"

Ruby blushed and nodded, but upon realising Jennie couldn't see it, murmured, "Yeah. I guess. Sorta... it's... I dunno-"

"Complicated?" Her companion finished with a grimace.

"Yes."

"I know just how you feel," the medic sighed, hopping off Ruby's mattress and climbing the ladder back into her bed.

"Really?" Ruby asked, but before Jennie could elaborate, they were both shushed by a camper a few bunks away. By now, most of the barracks had fallen asleep.

"See you in the morning," Jennie whispered, her blankets rustling as she shifted into a sleeping position, "I'll wake you up, if you want. It's an early start."

"M'kay," Ruby mumbled, "'Night."

As Jennie's breaths got deeper and she slipped into sleep, Ruby lay awake, her screwdriver sitting in her palm, its surface warm against her skin. She was surprised at how calm she was- how, despite the awkward entrance and the somewhat hostile welcome, she felt at ease here. Like she _belonged to something_. And that _was_ pretty cool, she decided.

The niggling feeling, however, that although this was a place for people like her that it wasn't the _right_ place, that it felt _wrong_ , somehow, was the thing that kept her awake.

 _No_ , she thought, _no, it shouldn't have been this easy to find these people._

 _What are you talking about_? The other part of her jeered. _You very nearly died just coming from San Francisco! Just how far do you need to go to be happy?_

And, almost as if someone had planted it there, two names popped into her head.

 _Long Island, New York._


	8. Chapter 7

_Four months later_

"And you have no idea what caused it?"

"None. He was puking all of last night, but he'd never shown signs of sickness before then."

Reyna pursed her lips, glancing at the bathroom door. Retching sounds could be heard from behind it. She grimaced.

She'd been called to New Rome (by Terminus, of course) after a few kids suddenly started vomiting and coughing for no apparent reason. Elliot, the first one to get sick, was the one behind the bathroom door. His father, a former legionnaire, stood beside the Reyna.

The bathroom door swung open quite violently, and Elliot stepped out, wiping bile from his mouth.

"Elliot," Reyna said, crouching so she was at the six-year-old's level, "did anything weird happen before you got sick? Did you see anything strange or touch something?"

Elliot sniffled and shook his head. "No. I had a glass of water and went to bed, and then I woke up and my tummy hurt, so I went and told Daddy, and..."

Reyna nodded, touching his shoulder. "Okay. Thank you, Elliot."

She turned to the boy's father. "For now, I'm going to assume it's a stomach bug. I'll send a medic to all of the houses with nectar and some unicorn drought. That should bring down the fever and perhaps stop the vomiting."

Elliot's father sighed and wiped his forehead. "Do whatever you have to," he said grimly, "just get my boy well again."

After visiting all of the residencies of the sick children, it was nearly sundown by the time Reyna got back to the _principia_. She sunk into her chair upon entering, and dragged her hands down her face with a muffled groan. Elections were coming up soon, and this was just another thing to add to her list of jobs she needed to attend to.

"Reyna?"

The praetor's head snapped up at the sound of Jason's voice. He strode in, Aurum and Argentum in his wake, and flopped into the chair beside Reyna. His brow was shiny with perspiration and he was breathing heavily.

"Just got back from training," he explained breathlessly, "did you do some digging into those kids getting sick?"

"No leads so far," the daughter of Bellona admitted, "but I hope I can figure something out before the elections."

Jason bit his lip. "Yeah. Octavian's running for praetor again. I'm beginning to worry that he'll take your place. That would be awful."

This brought a small smile to Reyna's face. "Octavian is no fighter," she agreed, "but he can influence an entire Senate with a few choice sentences. That won't bode well for either of us."

Her fellow praetor leaned forward in his high-backed chair. He glanced at Aurum and Argentum, who returned his stare with two pairs of beady red eyes.

"How is Ruby settling in?" Reyna asked, changing the subject.

Jason shrugged. "Okay, I guess. She's horrible at anything related to fighting- but I think that she could totally fight if she needed to, which she's done numerous times in the war games. Great thinker, has a way with machines. I like her. She's cool."

"Has she made any friends?" Even after four months, Reyna wanted to be sure.

"Jennie, yeah. And Darren, the head medic. And a few Vulcan kids in fourth, she hangs out with them. Why d'ya want to know?"

Reyna had to think fast. "I just didn't see her around the camp that much. I was wondering where she was disappearing to in between training."

"Alright, stalker," Jason laughed, hopping off the chair and making a beeline for the door. "You make sure to send me the photographs."

"Shut up," Reyna replied, but it was all in good spirits.

When she'd had dinner and the war games were over, Reyna returned to the _principia_ to think. She stared hard at the table in front of the two praetor's chairs, fiddling with her dagger in one hand. The other rested lightly on Argentum's head.

It was getting late. Most of the camp had gone to sleep by then, and Reyna was beginning to tire herself, though she'd tried to suppress the feeling with a few cups of coffee and an energy drink.

"You should get some sleep."

Aurum, who'd been snoozing in the corner, growled at the intruder. Ruby stood in the doorway, unfazed by the dog's ruby-eyed glare. Her purple t-shirt was rolled up at the sleeves in the humid night air, and her _probatio_ tablet hung limply around her neck.

Reyna was caught off guard; she hadn't talked to Ruby since that night four months ago. She'd begun to worry that the _probatio_ was avoiding her.

The daughter of Bellona regained her composure and said brusquely, "Ruby. You should be in your barracks."

"Jason- _Praetor Grace_ \- actually asked me to tell you to turn in. He was busy sorting out an argument in one of second's barracks over a missing toothbrush or something."

"I'll sleep when I think I should sleep," Reyna snapped, maybe a little too harshly. Ruby winced.

"Don't shoot the messenger," she said quietly. "...I'll, er, just leave, then."

She ducked out of the room, face red as a beet. Reyna instantly felt guilty. She considered catching up to the _probatio_ and apologizing, then thought better of it and began clearing off the empty coffee mugs and old papers off the table. Her metal dogs watched her closely, almost as if they were accusing her of a crime.

Reyna collapsed on her bed at three AM, and fell asleep within minutes of hitting the pillows.

She'd investigate the 'stomach bug' further in the morning, when she'd had a decent night's sleep.


	9. Chapter 8

" _Never gonna give you up, never gonna let you down, never gonna run around and, desert you_ ~"

Ruby's eyes shot open and she shrieked, " _Ohmygodturnitoff_!"

Jennie, still half asleep in the top bunk and the one who had set the alarm in the first place, mumbled something unintelligible and very nearly rolled off the side of the bed.

" _Never gonna make you cry, never gonna say goodbye, never gonna tell a lie, and hurt you_ ~"

By now, several of the other legionnaires in the nearby bunks were waking up, blearily rubbing at half-open eyes and pulling on rumpled Camp Jupiter t-shirts. A few moaned at Jennie- who, by this point, had woken up fully- to switch off the alarm.

Ruby jumped out of bed, still in the bra and shorts she'd been sleeping in, and scrambled up the ladder of the bunk, slamming her hand on the 'off' button of Jennie's alarm.

There was a collective sigh from the rest of the campers in the barracks.

" _Ick_ ," Jennie muttered as she grabbed her purple t-shirt and pulled it over her head, "I wish we didn't have to get up this early for inspection."

Ruby shrugged, climbing back down from the top bunk and picking up her blankets from the floor. She must have kicked them off during the night.

After she and Jennie had gotten dressed, they made their beds and used the bathroom before barracks inspection began. The rest of the kids in their barracks all pitched in to clean up, before heading out to the daily muster. This only lasted a few minutes at most; the legionnaires of each cohort had their names called, then hurried off to their training.

Ruby's first training session was, to her dismay, Latin. She hated the language with a passion. Although Jennie often tried to convince her otherwise, Ruby blatantly refused to study it outside of the classes she had, which irritated her instructors to no end. It just didn't come to her as easily as it did with the other legionnaires. Of course, she had a rough idea why, but she'd never tell her teachers that she'd be better off reading Ancient Greek unless she had a death wish.

"Come on," Jennie urged, pointing a manicured fingernail at the sentence on the paper. "Just tell me what this says."

Ruby pulled a face. "I dunno."

"I'm pretty sure it doesn't say 'I dunno'. Concentrate. It should just pop into your head."

The _probatio_ grumbled a curse.

" _Julius Caesar rectum iri occasus pars of Romanorum empire._ So Caesar did _what_ about the Roman Empire?" Jennie prompted.

Ruby envied how great her friend's pronunciation was. Then again, Jennie had been learning Latin for over four years and, even before that, could speak it fluently. You could say she had an advantage.

"He... he ruled... the East-"

" _West_ -"

" _West_ side... of... the Roman Empire. Julius Caesar ruled the West side of the Roman Empire."

The medic clapped her hands. "Good! You're getting better at this."

"Hmph. I'll never be as good as you."

"Just practise," Jennie said brightly. "You'll get the hang of it eventually."

They continued on like this for another hour, then, weary of reading blurred words on countless pages, strapped on light armour and met up with a group of legionnaires from the fourth cohort to sword-fight on the Field of Mars. A few kids from first were also training, and made a big show of their gleaming weapons and exceptional fighting skills.

They pulled faces at the campers from fourth until Leila, one of the centurions of fourth, snapped at them to 'mind their own business or she'll feed their eyeballs to Skippy'. This, remarkably, shut them up.

Ruby hated sword-fighting as well, consequently. This day wasn't turning out to be one of her favourites. At least she'd be able to design the defences for Siege in the war games tonight.

Leila and Anthony, the two instructors, also seemed in rotten moods today. They snapped at anyone who messed up a routine or didn't pay attention. Ruby bore the brunt of Anthony's insults, though she put most of it down to the midday heat and tried to ignore the worst ones.

As the legionnaires headed off to their next lessons, Logan, a son of Vulcan in the fourth cohort, jogged up to Ruby and Jennie.

"Didya hear?" He panted, shaking his lanky black hair. "A buncha people in New Rome got really sick last week. No explanation."

"What?" Jennie demanded, stopping mid-walk and staring at him.

Logan spat a bit of hair out of his mouth. "I heard from Casey who heard from Brian who heard from Cameron that Jason told Reyna that another five people got sick yesterday. Lilly told me that Sean told her that-"

"Okay, we get it," Ruby interrupted. "When did this start?"

"'Bout a week ago, I think."

Jennie's face had turned a bright shade of pink. "Why haven't all the medics been informed? We could be helping."

"Dunno," the son of Vulcan admitted, "Reyna and Jason probably wanna keep it hush hush, if y'know what I'm saying. It'd start a panic if everyone in New Rome found out."

Jennie looked furious. "My brother is in New Rome," she said through gritted teeth. "If he's sick, so help me gods..."

"Hey." Ruby put a hand on her friend's shoulder. "How about you go ask Reyna today? We have an hour before the next few activities."

"Why don't _you_ go ask her?" Jennie grumbled.

Ruby's throat closed up. She realised she hadn't talked to the praetor in months- and she had no intention of starting now.

"I... I'm going to take a bath and change my clothes. They're all sweaty."

The medic rolled her eyes. "Okay, whatever. Do we have any more stuff together?"

"Don't think so. I've got battle strategies and another hour-and-a-half of sword training after this."

"M'kay. See you at dinner."

"See you."

Jennie started jogging to the _principia_ , while Ruby stayed with Logan, who'd offered to go down to the armoury with her and build weapons out of the scrap metal there. She'd gladly obliged, stopping at the barracks for a change of clothes and a five-minute shower.

As Logan handed her a hammer and grabbed several pieces of discarded Imperial Gold, Ruby briefly wondered what Jennie was talking to Reyna about. Ruby had given up on trying to get the praetor's attention long ago, but... maybe she should consider giving it a try again?

She had nothing to lose and everything to gain. Was it worth it? Ruby imagined Reyna's long black hair, those piercing eyes...

She bit her lip hard, suppressing any more thoughts of the daughter of Bellona, and focused on what she did best- building things out of other things. She'd think about Reyna tomorrow.


	10. Chapter 9

War games.

Ruby, to her surprise, greatly enjoyed them, especially when her cohort was able to build the defences. She, Logan and a scattering of other Vulcan kids would come together during their free time and plan every trapdoor or hidden net to be built that evening. They were starting to give the opposing cohorts a run for their money.

Tonight, it was fourth, third and fifth defending against first and second. The Vulcan legionnaires would have to work harder than usual, but it wasn't anything completely out of their league.

Ruby and Logan had appointed themselves as _curo constructum_ , or 'managing builders', which meant they oversaw what everyone else did and gave advice when needed.

It felt good to tell people what to do- a stark contrast to Ruby's usual position as _probatio_. She still had eight months to go until she became full member of the legion, unless she could somehow perform an 'act of valour' and get her SPQR tattoo early. To be frank, she was prepared to wait it out instead of going out of her way to risk her life just for a stupid tattoo. Jennie had agreed, although Logan had grumbled about how 'un-Roman' it was.

"Ruby, does this plank go over here?" A lisping voice piped, jolting Ruby from her thoughts. She glanced over at a boy, maybe two or three years younger, clutching a metre-long plank in his hands. He looked ridiculous in his too-large armour, and his shield was at least a full foot taller than him.

"A little to the left," Ruby confirmed with a nod. The boy dragged his board over to where she pointed.

Logan stepped up to her, flicking his long bangs out of his eyes. Ruby had told him so many times that his long hair would catch fire or get caught in something someday, but he refused to listen and instead opted for looking like an emo Justin Bieber.

"Buildin' on the right flank's nearly done," he said, tossing his hair again. "We should be finished by dinner."

"That's making great time," Ruby said with a smile, "so, the traps?"

"I'll tell Leila, Jerry an' the other centurions to place somma their own near each one. D'ya think you can spare some of the Vulcan kids to hang 'round as well?"

"Sure. Can't wait to kick some first and second butts."

 _That evening_

Ruby took a deep breath and gazed down at the first and second cohorts barrelling into the front of their defences, while their reserves circled around the back, surrounding the tower the defending cohorts had spent all afternoon building. Ruby motioned to Logan, who stood at the opposite end of the tower. He grinned and held up a fist. Nets sprung without warning on top of some of the legionnaires below, temporarily forcing them to retreat, but it wouldn't hold them back for long.

Third was fifth were both convinced they would lose to the more experienced cohorts, but fourth wasn't quite ready to give in yet. Their flag was positioned in the centre of the fort, and could only reached by climbing a series of wobbly rope ladders and getting past most of fourth's campers. Still, there had been far too many close calls already.

Ruby's eyes flickered up at the sky, watching Reyna dart through the clouds on Skippy. Her jet black hair flowed behind her in a dark curtain, shining in the fading light. Ruby gritted her teeth. _Stop_ _that._

"Brian! Casey! Why are you two up here?" She heard Logan demand angrily. He received a sheepish reply about how some girl in second had nabbed the flag and was already outside of the fort. Ruby let out a string of curses as she caught sight of the girl below, a wide grin on her face and a bright red flag in her hands. First and second flipped a few rude gestures and a couple yelled something about a _graecus_ and how fifth sucked at fighting.

"Dammit," Ruby muttered, sharing a look with Logan, tossed his hair and spat down at the attacking cohorts. He cuffed Brian on the ear and whacked Casey's back. Ruby just sighed and began to climb down the rope ladders, dropping to the ground.

Octavian and Michael, centurions of the first legion, were looking very pleased with themselves when Ruby and Logan arrived. "Better luck next time, eh?" Michael sneered. Ruby put a hand gently on Logan's trembling arm, whispering, "He's not worth it. We'll win next time, okay?"

Logan ground his teeth, but turned and walked briskly away from the two centurions, leaving Ruby behind.

"Adjusting well to the camp?" Octavian said with feigned concern. Ruby said nothing. The augur smiled unkindly. "Made some friends, I see? That's good. Well," he rolled his shoulders, "I'd best be off. Prophecies to read, scrolls to interpret, all that. Come on, Michael."

As they sauntered away, Ruby's hands curled into fists. _Those smug little bastards_...

A hand tapped her on the shoulder. Turning, Ruby blinked in surprise at Reyna, who stood behind her looking awkward.

"Praetor Reyna," Ruby nodded, remembering that she was still _probatio_ and had to address the praetor with due respect, "good to see you again."

"And you," Reyna said, eyes flicking downwards, then upwards, trying to avoid the _probatio_ 's gaze. "I'm glad you're settling in."

"Everyone keeps saying that," Ruby told her shortly, stepping a little closer. "I'm getting sick of it.

"But I'm glad we talked, after all this time," she added quietly, "really, I am. I.."

They were very close now. If Ruby stood on her toes, she would be at eye level with the praetor. She suddenly realized how easy it would be to just lean forward, and...

Reyna cleared her throat. The moment had passed. Ruby silently cursed herself for being such a coward.

"I... I'll see you later, Reyna." She spun on one heel and stiffly walked away, not looking back, eyes burning.

Reyna's mouth opened to tell her it was _Praetor_ Reyna, raising one hand to do so, but she thought better of it and lowered her hand. She touched her wrist; her pulse was racing, and her face felt hot. She suspected she looked very red-faced indeed.

Reyna stormed away, embarrassed, calling Scipio to follow her.


	11. Chapter 10

Jennie pursed her lips and drummed her fingers against the desk. Darren stood beside her, although his attention was occupied by the retching patient in the bed beside them.

"Heart rate's increasing slightly," Darren mumbled, rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Jennie and Darren had been summoned from the war games to help look after a score of violently sick demigods and legacies from New Rome. They'd been up all night. It was early morning now.

"Have you tried the unicorn drought?" Jennie asked Darren, gesturing to the bottle of the stuff on the desk next to the medical bed.

The boy nodded. "As much as it was safe to give them. There's nothing else we can do."

Jennie had expected a bit of coughing and maybe a couple vomiting bouts, but this was much worse. Much worse. By now, every medic in the vicinity, and then some, was working in the medical bay, rushing back and forth between beds and trying to distribute bandages, water and unicorn drought.

The demigod in the bed beside Jennie moaned. Jennie's hand curled into a fist. She really, really needed sleep. But there was too much to be done.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a commotion outside. The door to the medical bay burst open, and Reyna, Jason and Octavian strode in. They all looked shocked at how many people were in the bay.

"Jennie, Darren," Jason touched their shoulders, "get some sleep. There are others who can do your job."

Octavian looked about as concerned as Jennie had ever seen him. "What's the situation?" He asked her.

"Some of them are a bit better," she told him reluctantly, "but there's too many coming in for that to make a real difference. If we can find what's poisoning all the demigods and legacies, we might be able to come up with an antidote. _Might_ ," she added quickly, not wanting to sound too optimistic.

Reyna and Jason both nodded. "We'll make sure an investigation is under way, and I'll call a Senate meeting tomorrow," the former said, "but you and Darren look exhausted. You can't get anything done with no sleep and an empty stomach."

"Thank you, Praetors," Darren breathed gratefully, taking Jennie's hand, "come on."

They hurried out, taking care not to bump into any of the flustered medics.

As they got outside, Darren nearly slammed into Ruby, who had been running with Logan at full speed towards the medical bay. Jennie caught her friend's arm as she flew past, making Ruby spin around and sigh. "What?"

"What are you doing?"

"I could say the same." Ruby tried to wriggle free. "I'm going to help the medics."

Jennie glared at her. "Oh no, you're not. It's a madhouse in there, and it'll be worse with another person."

"I've got to help," Ruby pleaded, twisting in Jennie's grip, "I've got to-"

"Is this about Reyna?"

There was a long, awkward silence. By now, Darren had taken the hint and had headed off to the third cohort's barracks to catch some much-needed sleep.

"What the hell do you mean?" Ruby snapped, eyes narrowing. Jennie was overtired and not in any mood to be gentle about this.

"I mean," she snapped back, "you've been doey-eyed over that girl since you got here four months ago. She doesn't like you, Ruby- get over it."

" _Excuse_ me?" Ruby looked angrier than Jennie had ever seen her. Her hands were bunched into fists by her sides, and her brown eyes were stormy.

"You... you heard me," the medic continued. _Too late now_. "Stop wasting time with the praetor. It's really... really un-Roman."

" _Well maybe I don't want to be Roman_!" Ruby shouted, startling a few pigeons that were pecking at a bit of food and earning a lot of stares from passers-by. She pushed roughly past Jennie, and the medic could have sworn the ground was steaming where her friend had been standing. She watched as Ruby stalked away, in the direction of Temple Hill. Jennie, still angry herself, went in the opposite direction, to fourth's barracks.

When she got there, Anthony was sitting in his bunk, fiddling with what looked like an empty bottle. He looked up and smiled a little at her as she walked in, but his grin faded when he saw her expression.

"Jen, what's up?" He asked, beckoning her over. Jennie choked back a bout of tears and sat next to him on the bunk.

"Just... bad day," she admitted, leaning on his shoulder, "and I was up all night last night, in the medical bay..."

Ant nodded understandingly. "That must suck."

"Yeah. And Ruby and I... well, we had a bad fight, and..."

"Hey, it's okay now," Ant put his arms around Jennie. She was too tired to care, and was too busy trying to stem the flow of tears and hiccups. "You're okay, Jen. C'mon, you get to bed, I'll get you some food."

Jennie sniffled, but got up and shuffled to her bunk, climbing the ladder rungs and burrowing under the blankets. _Forget training today- they'll be fine without me. Besides, there's no way I'm going to get anywhere near Ruby_...

By this point, Jennie wasn't even sure why she was mad at her friend. She thought about the last thing Ruby had said before she left: _maybe I don't want to be Roman_. What had she meant by that?

Anthony eventually came back with a plate of fruit and a glass of water. He handed them up to Jennie, and they chatted quietly as she ate. Jennie briefly wondered why Anthony hadn't been at training. She supposed he had a break in between sessions, maybe.

When Jennie had finished eating, Ant took her plate and glass, put them under the bunk, and climbed up to sit with her. Jennie wasn't really upset anymore, but she appreciated the company, especially since Anthony had barely spoken to her for over four months.

"You know," Jennie said to him, "I never wanted to replace you with Ruby, or anything." She hiccuped, and smiled a little. "I mean, you're still my best friend."

"I know," Ant squeezed her hand. "I was jealous, is all. I don't..."  
"You don't what?"

"Nothing," he mumbled, "don't worry-"

"No, tell me." Jennie poked his arm.

He sighed. "I just don't think Ruby's good for you."

The medic raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I think she's a bad influence. She hangs out with that weirdo Logan, and his group, she's against fighting and almost never listens to orders..."

All of those things were true, although Jennie would never admit it.

Anthony shrugged nonchalantly, and hopped off the bunk. "I'll be at the baths if you need me."

"See you," Jennie muttered into her pillow. She closed her eyes and slipped into sleep.

Ruby shuffled into the temple of Vulcan, on Temple Hill. Another legionnaire was inside, but they quickly stood up and left as Ruby entered. She raised an eyebrow but made no comment.

Pulling a couple of apples out of her satchel, Ruby placed them in the offerings bowl, which was already burning. She sighed and looked imploringly at the ceiling, as if it would give her an answer.

"Hey, um, dad," she began uncertainly, "uh... thanks for getting me here, by the way. I've... I've made a few friends and things. But... you told me that it wasn't going to be completely safe. That it was- what did you say?- that it was risky? Why? What do the Romans have against me?"

She was met with silence.

Ruby crossed her arms. "Fine. Don't tell me anything. But if I get chucked into the Little Tiber inside a sack with angry ferrets, I'm completely blaming you."

She stood and walked swiftly out of the temple of Vulcan, her offerings still burning as she left.


	12. Chapter 11

"I'm afraid I can't let you through."

Ruby spread her arms. "Look, Terminus, I don't have any weapons."

The god furrowed his marble eyebrows. "There is a Senate meeting in progress. How do I know you won't sneak in?"

Ruby paused. "You can trust me. I'll just be buying crepes."

Terminus sighed. "Fine. But if anyone asks, _probatio_ , I will not hesitate to let them know where you've slunk off to. First, hand in all your weapons."

Ruby turned out her pockets. "Uh, I have a stick of gum and a paperclip."

Terminus' shoulder wriggled- he must have been gesturing with his non-existent arms. "Hand it in. Can't trust anyone with anything these days. Anything else?"

"Just this." Ruby pulled her screwdriver out of her belt.

Terminus' nostrils flared. "I'll take _that_ , young lady." The screwdriver dematerialized in Ruby's hands instantly.

" _What_? But it's just a-"

"Don't bother arguing. You may step over the line. You can collect your personal effects when you leave."

"...Okay. Great," Ruby had already crossed the Pomerian line, and was heading in the direction of New Rome's centre. "Thanks, Terminus!"

He grimaced and made an odd movement that might have been a facepalm, if he'd had hands.

The street of New Rome were oddly quiet, save for the occasional startled squawk of a pigeon as Ruby hurried past. She felt exposed without her screwdriver, but she suppressed the feeling and increased her pace. She needed to arrive before the meeting ended.

Ruby briefly wondered what Jennie was doing today. She'd long-since gotten over the argument they'd had the day before, and hoped her friend had done the same. But that wasn't important right now, anyway.

When she reached the town square, she doubled back, running to the Senate as fast as she could. Hopefully Terminus wouldn't notice until the meeting had ended.

As Ruby crept in through the Senate's massive doors, she heard the dull hum of arguing. _Dammit, I'll have to sneak around the back. I hope there's a door._

The patter of footsteps startled her so badly that Ruby let out a strangled shriek and ducked behind a pillar, flattening herself against the cool marble and silently willing herself to be invisible.

"Who's there?" called Larry, a Centurion from the second cohort. Ruby clapped a hand over her mouth and edged around the side of the pillar as the demigod drew closer.

Larry walked around for a few more nerve-wracking seconds, then grunted and returned to the meeting. Ruby noted that he didn't come from the front doors. A tentative smile spread across her face as she began to follow him, taking care not to make any noise.

She'd been right- Larry entered the Senate meeting through a back door, and was greeted by a few other centurions. Ruby waited a few minutes, then swung the door open a crack.

A heated debate was taking place between Reyna and Octavian.

"-I'm telling you, we need to cut off the water supply to San Francisco and divert it towards New Rome! We could complete it in a few days!" Octavian urged, gesturing wildly. A few other centurions in Ruby's view nodded. She couldn't see Leila or Jerry, fourth's centurions, but she hoped they disagreed with the augur.

"And how do you think the residents of an _entire city_ will bode if we go through with your plan, Octavian? Not very smart of you," Reyna snapped. Ruby hid a grin behind one hand.

Octavian spluttered. "Well, how do expect me to react when half our city is in the medical bay and the other half won't even come out of their houses? What if it spreads to the camp? What will we do when _half of our legion_ is vomiting every ten minutes?"

Ruby had to admit, he had a point. The Senators needed to take action as soon as possible, or the poisoning could have dire consequences.

Reyna was silent while the Senate broke into yelling and debating. Ruby desperately wanted to burst out and tell them to listen to the praetor, but she wasn't even supposed to be here in the first place, let alone be arguing with the centurions. She shifted impatiently, willing the noise to recede.

Reyna raised her voice, quieting most of the Senate. "Octavian, you do have a point-" Ruby could envision the augur's smug expression- "but we cannot reveal our presence to the San Francisco's inhabitants, no matter the situation. It's too dangerous, for us and them. Have I made myself clear?"

Grumbles and mutters confirmed her question.

"Good," Reyna continued, "I propose that we take samples of the poison, and try and come up with an antidote. The medics and the children of any healing gods, major or minor, can help with this. After everyone is well we can divert our attentions to the culprit. Octavian, though you prove a valid point, we do not know for sure whether the poison is really in the water supply, or whether it's airborne, so we can't take any substantial action until we've found this out."

Centurions were nodding and murmuring approval. Ruby's grin got wider as the opinion turned in Reyna's favour.

Octavian realized this, too. He cleared his throat. "Fine. We'll stick with your plan until something goes wrong. Then, I expect all of you will turn to _me_ for help."

Most of the Senate ignored him.

"Senate dismissed," called Jason. It was the first time Ruby had heard him speak.

The centurions and other senators sighed gratefully, and there was a collective rustle of togas as they rose from their seats and began to file out. No one used the back door Larry had gone through. Ruby supposed it was used for bathroom breaks or for senators to escape the more boring meetings.

As the last of the senators left the room, Ruby nearly had a heart attack when Reyna said loudly, "Ruby, I know you're here. Come out."

Ruby reluctantly pushed the door open fully and stepped out into the light of the Senate Hall.

Reyna stood on a podium in the middle, purple robes in stark contrast to the brightness of the room. Ruby felt underdressed in her grubby purple t-shirt and grubbier blue jeans. She involuntarily reached for her screwdriver, and flinched when it wasn't there. She made a mental note to collect it from Terminus as soon as she could.

"How... how long did you know I was here?" Ruby stuttered, struggling to meet the praetor's gaze. Reyna had a ghost of a smile.

"Since the back door opened. I'm not surprised."

"You're not?"

"Of course I'm not. It's one of the things I admire about you. You're always so curious."

Ruby felt her cheeks grow hot.

Reyna's face became serious again. "But you shouldn't have come. If Octavian or any of his people knew..."

"I'd be dead meat, I know," Ruby admitted, "but I wanted to see-" she stopped abruptly, catching herself.

Reyna raised one dark eyebrow. "Hmm? Wanted to see what?"

"...Nothing. I- I'll just go now..." Ruby pivoted on one heel and turned to leave through the back door.

"Ruby..."

Ruby spun around, meeting Reyna's gaze. "Yes?"

The praetor's mouth was drawn in a thin line, as if it took great effort to say the nest few words.

"Would... would you like to... perhaps go for a coffee sometime? We haven't exactly spoken properly for a while, and I'm interested in how you're finding the camp. I apologize if I came off earlier as... rude."

Ruby was so startled she didn't reply for a good few seconds. Reyna coughed and muttered, "If you're too busy-"

"Oh no, it's fine!" Ruby interrupted. "That was just, you know, a bit... um... weird for you to say. To me. Because I'm still on _probatio_. And stuff."

Reyna shrugged. "I'm just curious. It's not a date, Ruby."

"Okay. Okay. Sure! I'll see you at lunch tomorrow? In New Rome?"

"Alright."

"Okay. Bye!" Ruby backed out of the room so fast, she ran into the back door. Spluttering apologies, she spun around and wrenched it open, hurrying down the hallway and out of the Senate House.

Terminus reluctantly returned Ruby's screwdriver, gum and paperclip when she reached the Pomerian Line, but Ruby couldn't have cared less.

 _Reyna just asked me out on a date. The praetor just asked me out on a date._


	13. Chapter 12

_That night_

Ruby waited silently until Jennie had fallen asleep. Then, she rolled out of her bunk and crept to one of the empty bunks at the very back of the barracks, trying her best not to wake any of the other campers. She crouched behind an abandoned bunk, flicked on a portable reading light and pulled a bottle of liquid out of her pocket, along with a small dish and an odd radio-like contraption about the size of her hand.

The 'radio' was a machine she'd been working on- a poison analyzer. Contrary to what most of her friends thought, she'd been making good use of any free time she'd had during the week, and had managed to create the machine. She'd tested it with some nectar first, and it had whirred and sparked for a while before spitting out a stream of Ancient Greek (why it was Ancient Greek and not Latin, she didn't know), which Ruby had then translated as 'godly soft drink'. She assumed it meant nectar.

Ruby uncapped the bottle and carefully poured its contents into the poison analyzer. It made an odd crackling noise, and smoke sputtered from the contraption. She hissed as it grew hot in her hands, and thrust it under the bunk bed as a couple of campers stirred at the noise.

"Come on," she whispered as the analyzer continued to steam. Finally, it beeped and a series of Ancient Greek letters whizzed across the screen. Ruby squinted at them and was able to discern 'snake' and 'very poisonous'.

"Thank you for stating the obvious," she muttered wryly at her machine, which turned itself off in response. But at least she had an idea of the type of poison that was making people sick. It was some sort of snake venom. Ruby went through a mental list of poisonous Greek and Roman snakes in her head. _Basilisks, hydra, elder python..._

There wasn't much else. It had to be one of those three, and Ruby was betting on a basilisk, mostly because it was the easiest poison to obtain.

"Fantastic," she murmured under her breath, "now, I've got to figure out who did it."

"Ruby?"

Ruby's eyes widened and she stood up quickly as Jennie wandered over, rubbing her eyes tiredly.

"Ruby, what are you doing? It's four AM," Jennie said pointedly. Ruby was surprised time had gone by that fast.

"I, er... I was getting a drink of water," She lied, kicking her supplies under the bed before her friend could see them.

"Um... okay," Jennie mumbled, spinning and padding back to bed. "G'night."

"'Night."

"Ruby?" The medic called as Ruby got into bed, pulling the sheets up to her chin.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about... you know. The argument. I was tired and-"

"It's fine," Ruby said quickly, "I'm over it. I'm sorry too. For yelling."

Jennie yawned. "Okay. Good. I didn't want to mess up what we had, y'know? And now Ant's talking to me again, too..."

"I didn't see him at training yesterday," Ruby observed, rolling onto her side.

"'Parently he was helping out at the medical bay. Nice of him, very Roman, doing stuff for his legion..."

" _Apparently_ ," Ruby muttered under her breath. "Did you ask Darren or someone else whether he was there?"

"Why would I need to?" Jennie yawned again. "He's my best friend. I trust 'im..."

Ruby was a bit hurt. _I thought_ I _was your best friend..._

But she swallowed her indignation and said, "Fair enough. You should get some sleep, okay?"

"M'kay," Jennie shifted in the top bunk. In a few minutes Ruby could hear her snoring again.

She slid out of bed, tiptoed over to the bunk she'd kicked her machine under, and covered it with a spare pillow case lying on the bed.

Making a mental note to ask Darren about Anthony later, Ruby climbed back into her bunk and closed her eyes, finally falling asleep.


End file.
